The Wave Dancer
by mpg
Summary: Edward Cullen has always travelled the safe road and it's led him nowhere. A chance find might just change him forever, if he has the courage to pursue it. AH/OOC


Title: The Wave Dancer  
Rating: M/NC17  
Summary: Edward Cullen has always travelled the safe road and it's led him nowhere. A chance find might just change him forever, if he has the courage to pursue it. AH/OOC Inspiration: Song "Summer's Little Angel"  
Disclaimer: _Characters are all Stephenie Meyers' creations, I don't own them, I just use them for my own pleasure. Thanks to the usual and unusual suspects for helping me out. **Special Thank you to Albymangroves for stepping in to beta this for me :D**_

Source of Inspiration: Steve Forde - Summer's Little Angel www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=TE_INpe7DZM

To read all the entries in the Share Your Inspiration contest: http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2580394/Share_Your_Inspiration

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_ "There's no secret to balance. You just have to feel the waves" _

_~Frank Herbert_

~ 0 ~

I went to Queensland to get away from it all. Away from the bad break-up that still haunted me. Away from the life-shattering decision to leave my fiancé. But most of all, to get away from the drudgery and day-to-day nothingness my life had become. I was working a dead-end job that I hated, and it wasn't even as if the paycheque was worth the monotony. I had lived a lie for too long, so I finally gave up, sold all of my possessions and booked a one-way ticket to the Gold Coast and pre-paid two weeks accommodation in a beach-side resort at Burleigh Heads.

I had no idea what I was going to do next, no idea how I was going to get money to survive. But I didn't care, not while sipping my coffee on a balcony overlooking a beautiful white beach. The sun was just starting to rise over the horizon in front of me. I took a deep breath of the salty sea air and closed my eyes. The warmth of the coffee in my hand offset the last of the chill that was clinging to the air. It was April, so it was only just starting to get cold.

A lone surfer out in the ocean caught my eye and I watched in fascination as they twisted their board around as if to perform a dance. I'd never been on a surfboard, having grown up in rural South Australia, and was fascinated by the power and grace in the movements of the board against the waves. I watched with interest as the figure rode the waves in closer to the beach, so close that I could tell it was a female, before paddling back out almost immediately. Before I knew it, an hour had passed and the sun was well and truly over the horizon.

I sighed, before reluctantly dragging my eyes away from the vision on the waves and taking my long-empty coffee cup back into the hotel room. I placed it on the bench and looked around me. It was strange… being alone. I hadn't ever lived by myself. I had gone from living with my parents, to living with my fiancé.

I sighed again thinking about Alice. She was great, really she was, it was just that there was no real spark between us. We'd had a relationship of defaults. We'd been friends since before we could walk, so when we'd hit high school and our libidos kicked in, it was only natural that we would gravitate to each other to experiment. From there it became a whirlwind of pressure and expectations. Suddenly we were the young lovers who started as best friends and would be together for life. When it came time to move out of home, it was a no-brainer that we would move in together. Living together naturally progressed to me popping the question. I hadn't even stopped to think at the time whether it was the right choice or not, because it was the logical one, the expected one.

She met Jasper through her work—they were both teachers for School of the Air—and almost immediately there was something between them. Even up to the day that I moved out, she swore nothing had happened with him. But I could see the way she looked at him, and knew how often he was brought up in conversations. I would lie awake in bed at night and hear his name pass her lips as she sighed contentedly in her sleep. Whether anything had happened or not was irrelevant. The fact of the matter was, she wasn't dreaming of me and she never sighed my name at night. Whether the feelings I saw between them were real or imagined, it was enough to force me to take a moment to reflect.

One night while we were making love, I realised the distance between us was a yawning chasm and there was nothing I could do to bridge it. Even worse, I knew I didn't want to try. Over the years, we had grown complacent with our relationship and stayed even though it wasn't what either of us wanted anymore. After that night, everything tumbled down around us like a house of cards. Our families, once firm friends, no longer spoke. All of our friends picked a side and battled it out alongside us. Lives were torn apart—our lives.

The last I heard, she and Jasper were honeymooning in Tahiti after a brief one month engagement. Even through the bitterness of our breakup, I was happy for her. Underneath it all, she was still my crazy best friend; or she would be if we still spoke. I just wished we'd realised a few years earlier what we had both come to understand; we loved each other, but we were never in love. Maybe it would have minimised the fallout.

The whole situation left me wanting something more out of life. I had realised I was settling with everything I did. I settled for the first girl who let me kiss her, and for the first job I was offered. I sat down to examine the reason, and was startled to realise it was because I was so terrified of failure, I didn't allow myself to try. That was the day I changed everything. That was the reason I was in a hotel thousands of kilometres away from my family and closest friends. I had never been so far away and so utterly alone before. It was startling, horrifying and yet strangely comforting all at once.

I decided to take advantage of the sun that kept creeping higher in the sky and head to the beach for some reflection. It seemed I'd been doing it a lot lately. It was just a little under two months since I'd left Alice, just under a month since I'd decided to head to Queensland, and just under a week that I'd been in the hotel. It meant I had just a few days left to figure out what I was going to do with myself. I had no real skills to speak of. Back home I'd been the mail-clerk, come banker, come store assistant at the tiny local store in town; if you could call one street with three shops and a school a town. We did, because we didn't know any better.

I pulled on a pair of boardies and stripped off my t-shirt. I didn't think I would actually go into the water—the ocean still scared me a little—but I would at least make the effort to look the part. I slipped on a pair of thongs, grabbed a towel and made my way to the ground floor, and the patch of white sand and salt bush that signalled the start of the beach.

As I headed over the sand dune, I passed the surfer I'd been watching on the waves. Her long, brown hair was slung into a low, wet ponytail. The remaining strands were stiff with salt and pushed back off her face. Her skin glowed with a very subtle tan and tiny freckles peppered her nose, cheeks and shoulders. She wore a sensible bikini halter top—designed for sport, not show—and super short boardies. Her legs were long and slender. Salt, water and sand all clung to her body refusing to relinquish their hold on her. I didn't blame them.

She smiled and waved at me as she walked by, and I was captivated. My whole body turned unthinkingly to watch as she left. My butt rested against the pine guard rails as I gazed at the vision. Luckily it was still relatively early in the morning so no one else was around to catch my roaming eye, although I thought that it might not matter. I might have watched her regardless of how many witnesses were around, she was one of those girls that just demanded attention.

She leaned her board against the fence along the walkway and dived straight under the fresh-water showers on the path. I stared as she rinsed off the sand and the salt. Her hands ducked beneath each of her bikini cups, no doubt to wash out excess sand, but the sight made my mouth water and my dick harden. I had been lonely for so long. It had been many months since I'd been intimate with anyone—not since the night I realised I could no longer be with Alice. Since then I had lived in self-imposed near seclusion, so seeing the pretty, slender girl in front of me brush her fingers across her nipples was a sight for sore eyes—even if I couldn't see the perfect pink buds for myself.

After she had rinsed off, the beach angel grabbed her board again, turning slightly toward me in the process. She looked up at me quickly, blushing as she caught the direction of my gaze. I swallowed roughly, smiled and waved. I couldn't move even if I wanted to, because the erection I was sporting would have been far too obvious in my boardies.

She stepped toward an old pale blue VW Kombi—which I should have guessed was hers—and rested the board against it. She slid open the door on the side and grabbed a towel, quickly drying herself off before shrugging on a very short, almost see-through, white dress. As I watched, she shimmied out of her wet boardies. My imagination ran wild with what she might have had on underneath—or not—but moments later the impression of a pink bikini bottom seeped through the material. Within a minute, her now completely see-though dress clung tightly to her still-damp body, revealing her curves. Her hands slid under the top half of the dress and she released her bikini top before pulling it off over her head. I strained to see her chest, but she kept her back to me.

In a clearly well-practised movement, she swung her board up onto the roof of the van and then was inside the cabin pulling away. She blushed and waved once more as she drove off. The last sight I had was of a little hula-girl toy grinding her hips away in the rear window.

With the show over, I decided I could do with a little shower myself, preferably cold, so I draped my towel over the fence were she had rested her board, and dove beneath the street-side showers. I felt my body deflate and retreat into itself when the icy water hit me but at least it meant I wasn't at risk of breaking out of my too-revealing boardies.

I grabbed my towel and headed down to the beach to allow myself to dry off in the sun. I sat there unable to get the bikini-clad surf goddess out of my mind. My body's reaction to her justified my leaving Alice. Alice and I had never had trouble in the bedroom, but never had I been so painfully hard without any sort of touching involved. Everything I had witnessed was innocent, even if it had hinted at more sensual things, but it had me straining desperately for a complete stranger. Even lying on the towel in the hot sun, with nothing but a memory of a few fleeting minutes, I was beginning to grow hard again. I gave up on the idea of lying peacefully on the sand. It was a family beach after all, so it wouldn't do to spend the day pitching a tent for all and sundry to witness.

I ventured down the beach, pushing further into the water than I ever had before—up to my shins. I knew how to swim, was quite proficient at it in fact, but the waves and thoughts of sharks scared me away from the open ocean. I kicked through the water at a leisurely pace trying not to worry about what direction my life needed to take, and trying even harder not to picture the surfer whom I would likely never see again.

A glint of something along the shoreline drew my attention; it had looked like a reflection off of glass. I decided to investigate because the last thing I wanted was for someone to slice their foot open on something which I had noticed and could have rectified.

As I closed in on the object, I realised it was a glass bottle, but it wasn't broken like I had expected. It was lodged tightly into some rocks just above the high-tide line. I almost walked away from it, but noticed a small piece of paper curled around a sharpened pencil in the neck of the bottle. I carefully captured the paper between the pencil and my pinkie finger before pulling it out to examine it.

_Lost: One half of my soul, left in the body of another.  
I am seeking my soul mate, not a part-time lover._

I was captivated by the words written on the page. I didn't know whether they were written by a man or woman, whether they were serious or if the whole message in a bottle thing was just a joke, but I could identify with what the note said. Wasn't that the reason I had left Alice? Because I knew she wasn't my other half. I didn't need her like I needed air. I didn't crave her like I craved food. I wasn't sure that love like that truly existed, but the way my parents still looked at each other gave me hope that it did.

I decided to play along with the note, regardless of who had written it. If they were serious I wanted to let them know they weren't alone. I quickly scribbled down two words on the paper. _Me too._

I rolled it back up and left it as it was, before grabbing my towel and heading back to the hotel room.

~ 0 ~

She was back again that evening; the surfing angel who rode the waves the way some might dance. I watched her from my balcony as she climbed from her Kombi and pulled her board from the roof. This time, she slid a wetsuit on over her bikini—the same style, if not the same colour, as the one she'd worn earlier. I craned my neck, trying to get a better view, wishing I was closer to her and recalling just how good her trim body looked wrapped in those swimmers. As disappointed as I was by the addition of the wetsuit, I wasn't overly surprised; the night air was chillier than the morning had been. I watched as she trailed the short distance from the car park to the beach. She spent a few moments on the shore with her board, almost as if she was saying a prayer or thank you, before running out into the ocean. I watched in fascination as she continued the same pattern, in and out from the shore, up and down on the waves. She seemed to be practising a routine because she continued to do the same tricks again and again. I watched until the sun had sunk so low in the sky all I could see was her silhouette against the pink waves. My stomach growled, reminding me of my need for basic nutrition, so I reluctantly retreated inside to organise something to eat.

~ 0 ~

I woke early again the next morning, desperate to see if the wave-dancer was back. I stood at the railing of the balcony, eyes roaming hungrily for the pale blue Kombi or for long brown hair and longer legs, but I was sorely disappointed.

I decided to curb my depression by investigating the bottle again. I knew better than to expect anything new in it, but I pushed on anyway. When I arrived, I pulled the small curl of paper out, expecting to see the same words as yesterday, but with my scrawl along the bottom. Instead I found a new note.

_If you are searching for a love that is true,  
How will I know when I've found you?_

I stared at it for a few moments, realising it was a request for more information. Whoever had written the note was asking me to reveal all about myself, while giving nothing away about themselves. I sat on the sand and thought about the best way to answer it.

_Love found me once, but she wasn't true,  
How can I find out more about you?_

I hoped whoever was writing the notes would realise that I meant I was seeking a girl. The last thing I wanted was to play beer-bottle tag with some beefy bloke who wanted to make me his bitch. But something in the notes made me interested in learning more. I couldn't be sure whether it was just the fact that it was my first honest communication with anyone in what felt like forever, or whether it was because the longing in the poems perfectly echoed the sentiments of own soul.

I trailed back up to the hotel, realising half-way back just how desperate I was for something to break up the monotony of my days. Even while I was running away from the drudgery of my life, I was caught in a boring, repetitive cycle.

~ 0 ~

I waited with baited breath as the sun began to sink in the sky again. I realised I was close to becoming obsessed with the woman of the waves, but I longed to watch the sense of freedom that she displayed when she rode—the fact that she had a smoking body didn't hurt either.

The light faded fast while I was waiting for her. She hadn't come. I headed to bed, disappointed—and a little anxious—that I hadn't seen her all day.

~ 0 ~

I slept in a little the next morning. An inexplicable fear had settled on me and I'd struggled to fall asleep all night. I needed to see my surfer girl to know that everything was all right with her. I raced to the balcony in my boxer shorts, my hair was a dishevelled mess and my body ached from being dragged out of bed so quickly. My heart sank when I saw she wasn't on the water. My eyes quickly flicked to the car park and I sighed in relief when I saw the white roof of her Kombi. Then I realised her board was already on it, she was either just leaving or just arriving. Either way, I couldn't risk missing her. I didn't know if I could gather the courage to speak to her, but I needed to see her sun-kissed skin again. I raced to my suitcase and pulled on the first clean pair of shorts and t-shirt I could find. I ran to the elevator, quickly mashing the button and practically jumping on the spot as I waited for it to arrive. I debated running down the stairs, but just as I was about to, the elevator dinged and the doors opened. I jumped inside, repeatedly jamming my fingers on the 'G' button.

I thanked the merciful Lord that the lift didn't stop on any other floors; I probably looked like a madman as my leg bounced while I waited for the floors to pass. I burst into the lobby and dashed onto the street. I made it just in time to see the hula-girl in her rear-window cruelly mocking me with her swivelling hips.

At least I knew she was safe. The strange anxiety I had felt in my chest dissipated a little. I knew she was alive and well, even if I didn't know who she was. I made my way down to the beach, unsure what to do with myself. I decided to check the bottle again.

Another new note was hidden inside.

_The sea is my refuge when I want to be free,  
It's a great place to start to learn more of me._

I looked toward the ocean stupidly, as if expecting to see the answer printed in front of me across the waves. I took the note with me, unsure what to write in response. This new note had given me a strong suspicion about who the author might be, but with the number of people crossing the beach I couldn't be absolutely certain.

I had a plan. Even as it came into my mind, I knew it could easily fail, but I wasn't going to allow myself to give up before I had even tried. Not anymore.

I took a moment to head back to my hotel to shower and change before heading into town to hit the shops. I spent a good chunk of my remaining money on hiring a wetsuit and surfboard for a few days, as well as investing in a two hour lesson. Luckily, because it was April, there wasn't a great demand for surfing tuition.

Less than three hours after I'd found the note, I was getting instructions on surfing from a leggy blonde named Rosalie. She taught me the basics; I'd learned to 'pop-up' on the board, although I was certain it would be more difficult on the water. She'd also shown me how to paddle out while lying on the board.

It was almost forty-five minutes into the lesson before I even got wet. Rosalie took me out into the ocean, far away from other surfers and swimmers, and ran through the basics again. By the end of the second hour, I could sit on the board, paddle in the surf and, at the very end of the lesson, even stood up once.

Rosalie left me with the board and the wetsuit after I promised her I wouldn't go out alone. My stomach growled at me so I dropped the board back to my hotel room and went for a walk along the esplanade to find a little café. I sat there refining my plan for another couple of hours—and at least three cups of coffee—before heading back to my room to grab everything I needed.

I sat on the beach with the board at my side, waiting. I couldn't be sure that she would come, all I had was hope and optimism, but even that was so much more than I'd had in a long time.

I heard the roar of an engine pull up, but I couldn't risk feeling the disappointment I would endure if I turned around and it wasn't her. I sat waiting, silently counting out the passing minutes, until I heard footsteps behind me and a small gasp of surprise.

"Hi," a soft voice whispered from behind me.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I turned and saw her, my beach angel.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Learning more about the ocean…" I murmured, laying my cards on the table. I watched her face carefully as I spoke.

"It's an interesting place," she said.

I shook my head. "Not as interesting as the people who ride it." I stood and brushed the sand off myself.

"You surf?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"Not really," I laughed. "Although… I did stand up on the board today."

Her lips turned up in a wry smile. "You should be so proud."

"I've watched you, you know..." I trailed off, afraid of sounding like a stalker.

She smiled knowingly, and a trace of the blush from the other day highlighted the freckles on her cheeks.

"On the waves, I mean," I added quickly, understanding what she thought I was talking about. "It's a thing of beauty."

She smiled and stared at the ocean. "I just can't seem to perfect my layback."

I stared blankly at her before answering stupidly, "Well, that's understandable… it's a hard move."

She giggled. "I know you have no idea what you are talking about."

"I really don't."

"Thanks for feigning interest at least." She looked away, her eyes revealing a look of disappointment seconds before she did.

I took a deep breath, and another risk, and grabbed her hand. "I said I didn't know what you were talking about…not that I wasn't interested."

Her eyes locked with mine, her surprise evident. Her hand shook slightly in mine.

I took the biggest risk of all, pulled a little note out of my pocket and pressed it into her palm. I saw the recognition in her eyes and knew my assumptions were correct. I watched as she unfolded the note, and read. She looked at me with a mixture of fear and hope, her lips curling up into a tiny smile.

"Bella," she said softly.

"Edward," I responded, grinning like a loon as I thought about the words I had added something beneath her two lines.

_I'm glad you know how to find peace in the sea  
I hope one day, you'll find it with me. _

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**A/N:- This was my other entry in the Share your inspiration contest. The other entries are still up on the contest page for a limited time, so go check them out while they are still up. **

**This story was voted 3rd in the public voting :D thank you to everyone who supported it! The third place banner http:/yfrog(dot)com/h3svi6j**


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